LG isn’t standing still and letting its arch rival, Samsung, do all the work in the field of smartphone-controlled home appliances. LG already has an app which lets you control its washing machines with your device. Sadly though, as with Samsung’s software, this is only available in the both companies’ home market of South Korea.

Today LG announced that it’s taking its app one step further, by building voice control into it. So not only will you be able to control your LG Tromm washing machine with your phone, you’ll even be able to (literally) tell it what to do. Granted, you’ll be speaking into your handset, and not at the machine. Still, if tapping on a screen a few times in order to select what you want your washing machine to do seemed way too complicated for you, there’s going to be an easier option.

Provided you own an LG Tromm washing machine and you live in South Korea, that is. The app will at first recognize about 40 commands, which can be spoken in naturally-sounding language (an example being that you can simply ask “What are you doing?” and your washing machine will give you its current status). The updated bit of software will become available ‘later this month’.

Of course LG has vowed to continue developing such remote control apps for its appliances. And, as usual when we talk about such things, we still hope Samsung and LG will make this available in other parts of the world – as soon as possible.